Winking and blinking doll eyes and actuation therefor

ABSTRACT

A doll with eyes which may be actuated by gravity and also rods moved by a lever. The lever is moved by means operated by a cam extending from a shaft driven by a motorized music box mounted within the doll.

I United States Patent 1151 3,636,653 Gardel et a1, 1 1 Jan. 25, 1972 [54] WINKING AND BLINKING DOLL EYES [56] References Cited AND ACTUATION THEREFOR UNTED STATES PATENTS [72] Inventors: Robert Gardel, New York; Egon Gorsky,

2,565,603 9/1951 Fraysur ..46/169 X g f f Tumhen 3,230,666 1/1966 Gardel et a1. .46/169 820,843 5/1906 Arnold ..46/1 18 [73] Assignee: Dollac Division, .lacoby Bender, 1nc., 2,604,730 7/1952 Weiss .46/168 X Woodside, NY. 2,641,866 6/1953 Schiller.... ..46/135 X 2,854,788 10/1958 Baggott.... ..46/135 [221 Ffled- Mar-29,1968 3,012,366 12/1961 Faulkner ..46/118 211 Appl. No.: 734,510 3,250,037 5/1966 Km: et al .....46/135 3,293,794 12/1966 Ryan ..46/118 Related US. Application Data Primary Iziwnninvr-l-K Barry Shay [62] D1v1s1on of Ser. No. 388,752, Aug. 11, 1964, Pat. No. AHOMUAIM" M zalkind 52 us. c1. ..46/118, 46/135 R [57] ABSTRACT [51] 1nt.C1. ..A63h 5/00 A doll with eyes which may be actuated by gravity and also [58] Field of Search ..46/118, 167, 168, 117, 232, rods moved by a lever. The lever is moved by means operated by a cam extending from a shaft driven by a motorized music box mounted within the doll.

6 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures aleaasss PATENTED JANZS I872 M/VENTOP5 B05597 GARDEL .eeoxv GOES/KY 5 y Mam/e0 5. TURSHEA/ WllNKllNG AND BLINKING DOLL EYES AND ACTUATION THEREFOR This application is a division of application of Gardel et al., Ser. No. 388,752, filed Aug. I], 1964, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,429,068, issued Feb. 25, 1969.

This invention relates to dolls and more particularly to dolls which have changing facial features, such as blinking eyes.

Some of the problems in providing dolls for children is to emulate as many of the lifelike features as possible which will be attractive and pleasing to a child.

Briefly, the present invention provides a doll of the sleeping eyes type with an eye wink or blink effect actuated by a music box, although other actuating mechanism is usable. Various modes of operation are accomplished by the gravity weight in each eye mechanism upon actuation of the eyeball by the spring-wound motor of the music box and lever mechanisms of the invention as explained. The actuation is also applicable to single-action winking eyes of the kind shown in copending application of Harry Bradsey, Ser. No. 182,378, filed Mar. 26, I964, assigned to the present assignee, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,216,150.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a doll with periodic winking or blinking eyes, the eyes being individual units of the sleeping type with auxiliary opening and/or closing control.

Another object of the invention is to provide an animated doll having double-action blinking eyes which can be opened when in a sleeping position and will automatically close.

A further object of the invention is to provide a cam-actuated tilting lever mechanism which will selectively impart a double-action blinking movement simultaneously to both eyes of an animated doll.

Another object of the invention is to provide an animated musical doll comprising double-action blinking eyes having a drowsy mode of operation when the doll is lying in a reclining position, and an alert mode of operation when the doll is in a sitting or standing position.

Still other objects reside in the combination of elements, arrangements of parts, and features of construction, all as will be more fully pointed out hereinafter and disclosed in the accompanying drawings, wherein there are shown preferred embodiments of this inventive concept.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view in elevation showing a conventional spring-wound motor music box having a vertical shaft which carries a cam means to rock a lever for actuating the eye units;

FIG. 2 is a partial facial profile of the doll in cross section shown in combination with elements to actuate a single-action winking eye of the kind referred to in the copending application, or double-action eye units described herein;

FIG. 3 is a partial sectional elevational view of a portion of the back of the doll which serves as a bearing and mounting means for the music box and showing a manually operated external winding knob;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary view of certain components of the actuating mechanism;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary plan view of the components of FIG.

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the cam of the actuating mechanism.

Referring to FIGS. 1 through 6, reference numeral designates a partial doll head having generally conventional molded eye cavities 23 comprised of yieldable material adapted to fixedly hold a sleeping eye unit 29 of a construction shown in the copending application mentioned above, or as hereinafter disclosed.

Thus, eye unit 29 comprises a rear housing 31 which closes the unit and which unit contains a rotatable eyeball 34 of the weight-biased sleeping doll type, but which can be winked by spring-biased rod or pin 35 carried slidably in a suitable eyelet 38 fastened to rear housing 31. Spring 36 is secured on rod 35 between the rear shell and an abutment 39 to bias the pin outwardly so as not to affect eyeball motion until pushed inwardly. The material of cavity 23 may have a cutout 42 for emergence of the rod and spring (FIG. 5).

Referring more specifically to FIGS. 1. 2 and 3, manual winding knob 46 for a music box 50 is secured to winding shaft 49 which extends externally from within housing 52 of a conventional spring-wound motor (not shown) of the music box. The spring motor actuates the music box and also rotates as external shaft 55 which will be understood to be secured in any suitable manner to a rotary element (not shown) of the motor mechanism.

Shaft 49 when assembled in the doll passes through a bearing 58 fixedly secured to housing 52 for support thereof, being carried in a bushing 61 secured is an aperture of the doll 63.

Shaft 55 has a cam 66 fixedly secured in any desired conventional manner thereto and passes through guide slot 69 of a yoke 72 bent at the end of rockable lever 71. Shaft 55 also lends lateral support to a bar 74 by passing through aperture 73 in ear 75. Bar 74 is a support bar that carries lever 71 and is carried on a crossbar 76 supported by a rivet or eyelet 78 at the center of each rear casing and extending therefrom. A retaining sleeve 79 on the end of each eyelet holds the bar thereon, the bar having bores 80 through which the eyelets pass and notches 80a through which the pins 35 pass.

Elements 7] and 74 yieldably secured together at their upper end portions by rivets 81 and springs 83, respectively, are carried, as shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 4 whereby lever 7 I is resiliently rockable relative to bar 74.

Lever 71 carries a disc 89 as by rivet 92, and also carries as by rivets a cam follower plate 98 which is engaged by cam 66 during rotation thereof.

Lever 71 is provided with an offset construction as shown to provide space for yoke 72 which serves as a guide for the lever as it is pushed counterclockwise by the cam 66 against the bias of springs 83. Thus, as cam 66 rotates each of the lobes shown moves lever 71 from the position of FIG. 1 to the position of FIG. 2. The return movement effected by springs 83 cause disc 46 to engage pins 35 so as to open or close the eyes depending on whether the pins are above or below the trunnion axes.

What is claimed is:

l. A doll eye actuating mechanism for a doll having eye units with movable rods to effect eyeball motion wherein said rods extend from said units into the interior of a doll head, said mechanism comprising a music box having a shaft extending therefrom and being rotated thereby, said shaft having a cam, and means comprising a rockable lever disposed to actuate a pair of said rods, said cam being disposed to periodically engage said lever to effect rocking thereof, including a support for said lever comprising a bar, and means for securing said bar to said doll eye units, said lever being resiliently fastened to said bar so as to be biased toward said rods, said bar having an ear with an aperture therein through which said shaft passes for effecting bracing of said bar, said lever having a yoke straddling said shaft for effecting guidance of said lever in the course of motion thereof.

2. A doll having a head comprising individual sleeping eye units having rotative eyeballs and an actuating mechanism for said eye units, said eye units having movable rods to effect eyeball motion wherein said rods extend from said units into the interior of said doll head, said mechanism comprising a music box having a shaft extending therefrom and being rotated thereby, said shaft having a cam, and means comprising a rockable lever disposed to actuate a pair of said rods, said cam being disposed to periodically engage said lever to effect rocking thereof, including a support for said lever comprising a bar, and means for securing said bar to said doll eye units, said lever being resiliently fastened to said bar so as to be biased towards said rods, said bar having an ear with an aperture therein through which said shaft passes for effecting bracing of said bar, said lever having a yoke straddling said shaft for effecting guidance of said lever in the course of motion thereof.

3. A doll as set forth in claim 2, said doll having a body, said music box being attached thereto for support of said music box and said shaft extending therefrom toward said head.

4. A doll eye mechanism comprising a pair of doll eye units having a bar secured thereto and said units comprising eyeball-actuating rods; a lever movably carried by said bar for to and fro motion and having spring means for effecting actuating engagement with said rods from an initial position in the course of motion in one direction and being normally biased by said spring means to effect said engagement for actuating said rods to actuate said eyeballs; including a motor having a shaft, said bar having a member with an aperture and said shaft passing through said aperture for bracing.

5. A mechanism as set forth in claim 4, including a cam carried by said shaft and engageable with said lever to periodically rock said lever as said shaft rotates to effect cyclic actuation of said rods.

6. A doll eye mechanism comprising a pair of doll eye units having a bar secured thereto and said units comprising eyeball-actuating rods; a lever movably carried by said bar for to and fro motion and having spring means for effecting actuating engagement with said rods from an initial position in the course of motion in one direction and being normally biased by said spring means to effect said engagement for actuating said rods to actuate said eyeballs; including a motor device comprising a rotary shaft extending generally parallel to said lever and guide means intermediate said shaft and said lever and carried by said lever for maintaining alignment of said shaft and lever and guiding the motion of said lever; said bar having a member with an aperture and said shaft passing through said aperture for bracing. 

1. A doll eye actuating mechanism for a doll having eye units with movable rods to effect eyeball motion wherein said rods extend from said units into the interior of a doll head, said mechanism comprising a music box having a shaft extending therefrom and being rotated thereby, said shaft having a cam, and means comprising a rockable lever disposed to actuate a pair of said rods, said cam being disposed to periodically engage said lever to effect rocking thereof, including a support for said lever comprising a bar, and means for securing said bar to said doll eye units, said lever being resiliently fastened to said bar so as to be biased toward said rods, said bar having an ear with an aperture therein through which said shaft passes for effecting bracing of said bar, said lever having a yoke straddling said shaft for effecting guidance of said lever in the course of motion thereof.
 2. A doll having a head comprising individual sleeping eye units having rotative eyeballs and an actuating mechanism for said eye units, said eye units having movable rods to effect eyeball motion wherein said rods extend from said units into the interior of said doll head, said mechanism comprising a music box having a shaft extending therefrom and being rotated thereby, said shaft having a cam, and means comprising a rockable lever disposed to actuate a pair of said rods, said cam being disposed to periodically engage said lever to effect rocking thereof, including a support for said lever comprising a bar, and means for securing said bar to said doll eye units, said lever being resiliently fastened to said bar so as to be biased towards said rods, said bar having an ear with an aperture therein through which said shaft passes for effecting bracing of said bar, said lever having a yoke straddling said shaft for effecting guidance of said lever in the course of motion thereof.
 3. A doll as set forth in claim 2, said doll having a body, said music box being attached thereto for support of said music box and said shaft extending therefrom toward said head.
 4. A doll eye mechanism comprising a pair of doll eye units having a bar secured thereto and said units comprising eyeball-actuating rods; a lever movably carried by said bar for to and fro motion and having spring means for effecting actuating engagement with said rods from an initial position in the course of motion in one direction and being normally biased by said spring means to effect said engagement for actuating said rods to actuate said eyeballs; including a motor having a shaft, said bar having a member with an aperture and said shaft passing through said aperture for bracing.
 5. A mechanism as set forth in claim 4, including a cam carried by said shaft and engageable with said lever to periodically rock said lever as said shaft rotates to effect cyclic actuation of said rods.
 6. A doll eye mechanism comprising a pair of doll eye units having a bar secured thereto and said units comprising eyeball-actuating rods; a lever movably carried by said bar for to and fro motion and having spring means for effecting actuating engagement with said rods from an initial position in the course of motion in one direction and being normally biased by said spring means to effect said engagement for actuating said rods to actuate said eyeballs; including a motor device comprising a rotary shaft extending generally parallel to said lever and guide means intermediate said shaft and said lever and carried by said lever for maintaining alignment of said shaft and lever and guiding the motion of said lever; said bar having a member with an aperture and said shaft passing through said aperture for bracing. 